Upgrade suggestions (Ram questions mainly)

I have always run my system with thisRAM, CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel. I had to RMA one stick recently (I've been very satisfied with the product though overall) and I figured I'd take the opportunity to upgrade. My system:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Manchester 2.0GHz
ASUS A8N-SLI Premium
EVGA 256-P2-N517-AX GeForce 7800GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

I'm currently running with only 1048 of RAM and I have no word on how long it'll take for me to get my other stick back from Corsair. Can I add a third stick and mix and match, or do I have to buy in pairs?, does all the RAM have to be the same model?......all of these are questions I need answered.

I'm also hoping someone could recommend a compatible video card and hard drive upgrade from an older 40gb Western digital that I also have installed. Thanks.

 

Well concerning the memory issue, if you want it to run at its full speed (in Dual Channel mode) you have to install it in pairs and on the same channel

Let me clarify ; take the Gigabyte Socket 775 MoBos, for example, they have (like most new mobos, tho colors may vary) 2 slots in yellow, and two orange/red , to run in dual channel mode you have to install 2 modules in the same color (channel).

Now about mixing and matching, the best advice i've heard about this is to match each pair modules as accurately as possible, same bus (667,800 etc) same size (512,1GB etc) and same latency (4-4-4-something) if you can't match all then match as much as you can BUT you MUST match the sizes along each channel. Red can have 2 1gig sticks, not one 1Gig, and one 512MB.

However you CAN install 2 gig sticks in one channel and 2 512 (or any other size) in another, that would still allow for Dual channel operation since ram on each "side" will be 1.5 Gigs, so you'll have 3 gigs running in Dual channel mode.

The make of RAM is less of an issue but as is always the case with dual components it's safer to get the exact same model and make.

I see your Motherboard supports PCI-Express, so if it fits in your case (size-wise) i suggest a Geforce 8800 GTS 320MB [like this here] since it's pretty future proof, offers DX10 compatability and is very nicely priced.

As for the HDD i find the word upgrade to be very subjective. Do you want more speed for loading things/swap file off your HDD? Get a Raptor drive.
Want more storage space? Get a bigger HDD (yes i know, i'm a genius). 320 GB drives are cheap as dirt these days, i wouldn't go for a 500 gig but that's a personal thing since I'm afraid of it overheating (I live in Egypt and it gets pretty hot i can barely keep my case cool with 3 extra fans) unless it really matters to you the number of physical drives you have, but that's just me.

Btw, if you do get a hard drive, get a Maxtor. Believe me, i've never heard a Maxtor user complain (contrary to WD owners i know, but that could be the old Gen of drives).

Hope that helps

 

upgrading ram: as mentioned, to take advantage of dual channel, you must install in pairs. If you are looking to add more ram, you could buy a pair of ram, then replace the remaining stick with the new ram. When the ram you sent back come ins, you can then add the first pair back to the system.

When selecting ram, remember that 32bit os's only support upto 4gb. Also check the Speed/type of ram your mobo works with.

Video Card: I also recomend a Geforce 8800, however if you are not gaming, you don't need it.

HD, 10,000 rpm hd are avalible (for faster speed) Or of course if you are looking for storage buy a bigger hd. If i were you I'd get a small, highspeed hd for Windows (or whatever your os is), then use your current drive for data.